Egg-case



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

w LLIAM-A; 'IIUMEEL'D, for HOLSTEIN, MISSOURI.

EGG CASE.

SIECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 532,156, dated January 8, 1895. Application filed January 1894; Serial No. 497.010. (No model.)

To all whom it Wild/y concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. HUMFELD,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Holcation.

' My invention relates to egg cases which are composed of sections separable on horizontal planes, each section having a series of crossed twines or strands forming egg receiving pockets, said pockets being so related that the ends of the eggs of one plane will enter the spaces formed between the ends of the eggs on the adjacent or contiguous plane, the sections having mutually interlocking dowels which insure their coming together in the predetermined relative position, and said sections when assembled being held together by any desired fastening means.

For a full understanding of the details of the invention reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and the subjoined description.

In the illustrations-eFigure 1, is a longitudinal vertical section of the improved case, the pocket forming strands being removed from the upper sections and some eggs being shown In position in thelower sections.

Fig. 2, is a top plan view of the case, the cover being removed, showing one course of strands. Fig. 3, is a View similar to Fig. 2, showing the top course of strands in full lines and the lower course of strands by the dotted lines.

The case is composed of a series of sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. These sections are rectangular frames of required dimensions and corresponding size, and of a height about equal to the length of the major axis of an egg. The sections will be provided with two courses of crossed strands. The upper strands consist of a single strand '5 which extends obliquely. There are two sets of strands to each course and they cross so as to' form meshes, which, in the present instance are the pockets to receive the eggs. The upper course is located about midway between the top and the bottom edges of the sections so as to come about central of the edges. The lower course is composed of diagonally crossed strands j. Two strands j are provided for each strand i1 and extend parallel with each other and with the respective strands 'i, and occur an equal distance on each side ofavertical prolongation of the said respective strands 2'. By this means the lower meshes are very much smaller than the upper meshes which is as they should be to receive and support the ends of the eggs.

Cross bars a occur about midway of the ends of the frames to strengthen and brace the side pieces and support the two courses of strands between which they are placed, the strands being secured thereto at the points of crossing by strands k or other fastenings. means the side pieces will be sustained at their middle against the tension on the strands. Filling pieces a are located above the cross bar of the top section and below the cross bar of the bottom section to prevent the cover M and the bottom N of the case from bending in and breaking the eggs.

It is obvious that the sections must occupy a fixed relative position to properly support the eggs and to prevent the ends of the adj acent layers registering or coming together.

To effect this result the interlocking dowels of one section occupy a different position f from the dowels of any other section of the case. Hence, the sections must be placed together in proper position in order to secure a fit. These dowels hold the sections in register and from lateral displacement when assembled.

The cover M and the bottom N are a little longer than the sections and have cleats O at their ends to overlap the endsot' the adjacent sections by means of which the said parts M and N are held in place. Screw hooks and eyelets C are provided in the cleats O opposite each other and are connected by fastenings d of any approved form.

It will be observed that the pockets or meshes are attached in adjacent rows in transverse and longitudinal direction. Hence, the points or ends of the eggs of contiguous layers will occur out of register, thereby preventing breakage and admitting of the eggs being packed more compactly than is possible in the usual cell cases.

I claim The herein specified egg case composed of a series of superimposed sections or frames By this for each section, the meshes of the lower top and bottom sections, and fastenings to secourse being smaller than the meshes of the cure the top, the bottom and the sections to- 10 upper course, cross bars midway of the ends gether, wherebya compact package is formed,

of the sections located between the two substantially as described.

courses of strands, filling pieces above and WILLIAM A. HUMFELD. below the cross bars of the top and bottom Witnesses: sections, respectively, atop and a bottom hav- FREDRICH J. OBERHELLMANN,

ing end cleats to overlap the end pieces of the DANIEL W. HUENEFELD. 

